Mother snaps link with Selim for joining militancy

8 July 2009, 17:00 PM

Rabiul Hasan, Chapainawabganj

Arrested with arms on Tuesday, Selim, second in command of JMB offshoot Islam and Muslim, is seen at Rajshahi Rab office. Photo: STAR

Before joining banned Islamist militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) about five years ago, Selim worked as a mason in Mumbai in India. He became an expert in light weaponry, started collecting arms for JMB, and later rose to second in command and military affairs commander of Islam and Muslim, a new offshoot of JMB. Law enforcers arrested him from bordering Belpara Johorpur village of Chapainawabganj Sadar upazila on Tuesday. Selim's father Durul Huda married Serina Begum around 28 years ago and Selim and Bedana were born to them, locals and family sources said. When Serina came to know that Durul Huda was involved in robbery in Tanore of Rajshahi, she with her two children went to her parents' house at Charmohonpur in Chapainawabganj town and discontinued relationship with him. With her small income from sewing nakshi kantha, Serina arranged schooling for her two children. Selim, however, could not come out successful in the SSC examinations. He went to Mumbai to work as a mason. After one and a half years he returned to the country and worked in Dhaka and other places as a mason. During this time he came in contact with JMB member Jasim alias Rafiqul Islam of Nilphamari. He persuaded her mother to arrange marriage of his sister Bedana, then a BA honours student in Nawabganj Government College, with Jasim. When law enforcers at Shibganj caught Bedana's husband a year later, Bedana and Serina came to know that Selim and Jasim were involved with JMB. Selim, who married Nuresha at Johorpur of Chapainawabganj Sadar upazila, at one stage stopped keeping contact with his mother and sister. He also married another girl in India. “I am very unhappy and ashamed as my son and son-in-law are JMB activists,” said Serina Begum, now living with her daughter amid poverty and anxiety.